London by Design  

Revisiting London for the first time in a decade, Martin Jacobs discovers some of the city’s best-kept design secrets, and makes a pilgrimage to firm favourites. 

WORDS Martin Jacobs PHOTOS Justin de Sousa, Jérôme Galland, Gareth Hacker, Courtesy of Blue Mountain School and The Soho Hotel, Hufton + Crow Photography, Emanuele Tortora, Mark Cocksedge, Matt Crossick, Tim Burton. 

THE DESIGN MUSEUM  
224-238 Kensington High Street, Kensington 

When I last visited The Design Museum, it was at its former location on Shad Thames. Approaching a decade in the John Pawson-designed building that’s tripled its size, even at this larger scale the museum is a manageable experience. The day I visited “The World of Tim Burton” exhibition, it was Mother’s Day in the UK, and the rooms were crowded with families. Extended until late May, the exhibition has proven to be the most popular in the museum’s 35-year history. Be sure to check out the walls of the first-floor atrium, where PLATFORM (a year-long showcase of the work of an individual or studio making an impact on contemporary design) presents key pieces by eccentric designer Bethan Laura Wood. designmuseum.org

BLUE MOUNTAIN SCHOOL 
9 Chance Street, Shoreditch 

Former footballer James Brown and his South African wife Christie Fels are the founders of this undeniably chic multidisciplinary space that borders Shoreditch’s popular Redchurch Street. The six-storey building, by award-winning 6a Architects, is home to Cycene – an intimate Michelin-stared restaurant – and Blue Projects, an exhibition space at which Capetonian artist Jared Ginsburg has previously exhibited. It’s also home to the by-appointment Archive, a double- volume retail space in which one-of-a- kind garments and collectables (by the likes of Valentin Loellmann, Amy Revier and shoemaker Paul Harnden) are displayed in impeccably stylish mobile shelving units. To visit Blue Mountain School is to understand its niche, yet cult, following. bluemountain.school 

HÉLÈNE DARROZE AT THE CONNAUGHT  
Carlos Place, Mayfair 

What appeals to me about London is its multicultural culinary offering – and French cuisine doesn’t get finer than in a corner of what couldn’t be a more British institution, The Connaught. For foodies, a pilgrimage to lauded and awarded chef Hélène Darroze’s three- Michelin-starred restaurant should be a given; the vol-au-vent lunch menu is a treat for the taste buds, pairing the best of French and British produce. Holding its own alongside the sophisticated dishes are French interior architect Pierre Yovanovitch’s stylish interiors: seating in pale pink and green velvet and leather, and accents of red, add a contemporary edge to the oak-panelled room, as do artworks by Damien Hirst. the-connaught.co.uk 

THE SOHO HOTEL 
4 Richmond Mews, Soho 

I’ve long been a fan of interior designer Kit Kemp’s work. As founder and creative director of Firmdale Hotels (with nine properties across London), Kemp’s quintessentially English decorating characterises The Soho Hotel, and is a colourful and playful feast for the eyes. Brave design choices, like pattern and colour layered to the max, make both the Library and the Drawing Room a visual delight. (Look out for works by local ceramicist Louise Gelderblom.) The hotel’s transformation from a former parking garage is impressive, and I love that an automotive-inspired mural in Refuel Bar & Restaurant makes reference to this past. firmdalehotels.com 

HOUSE OF HACKNEY 
St Michael’s Clergy House, Mark Street, Shoreditch 

Mark Street, Shoreditch In moving from its Shoreditch High Street store to a former clergy house (built in 1856, and complete with gothic architecture and stained-glass windows), the wallpapers and fabrics brand has found a perfectly suited home. Inspired by William Morris and nature’s bounty, House of Hackney’s London showroom is a must-see for pattern devotees, with room aft er room decorated in abundant florals, foliage and stripes. Beyond the old stone walls and past the curtained entrance, the vibe is maximalist – and the attention to detail seductive. houseofhackney.com 

NOMAD LONDON 
28 Bow Street, Covent Garden 

A night’s stay at NoMad London, voted 46th in the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2023, should be mandatory for aesthetes. Housed in the historic former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and police station (pay a visit to the hotel’s compact museum), NoMad London’s sultry interiors were conceptualised by acclaimed New York studio Roman and Williams. Masculine architecture and feminine furnishings define the rooms and suites, inspired by the Royal Opera House opposite the hotel, and New York’s jazz age. Reserve a booth at Side Hustle, NoMad’s Latin American-inspired bar, and order a pre- or post-theatre Sergeant Pepper cocktail. You can thank me later. hilton.com 

THE NEW CRAFTMAKER 
67 Pimlico Road, Belgravia 

Passionate about decorating? Plan a day along Pimlico Road, for there are gems to be found – including The New Craft maker, adjacent to the recently completed Newson’s Yard (also worth a visit). Under the creative direction of Sarah Myerscough, whose eponymous gallery is undergoing a major renovation, The New Craft maker is respected for its commitment to, and development of, craft heritage from across the UK. Artisans, crafts people and designers – including the likes of Maria Sigma, Bibbings & Hensby, Studio Amos and Alison Lousada – create contemporary, limited-edition pieces by reimagining traditional techniques. Be sure not to miss Matthew Raw’s ceramic Welcome drinks cabinet. thenewcraftmaker.com 

LABOUR AND WAIT 
85 Redchurch Street, Shoreditch 

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, Labour And Wait has for the past 15 years traded at a former brewery on a corner of Redchurch Street. The Georgian building’s original green-tiled façade always triggers my shopping impulses; I know that an array of functional and durable products for living spaces, kitchens and outdoors awaits inside. Timeless classics that age with grace are the brand’s speciality, from scissors of all kinds to aprons, enamel cookware and twine. With somewhat of a cult following, the brand recently opened stores in both Marylebone and Tokyo, and continues to stock many of the same products it did upon launching. labourandwait.co.uk 

LIBRERIA 
65 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields 

I’ve never forgotten walking through the Serpentine Pavilion, designed by Spanish architects SelgasCano in 2015, so after learning that Libreria bookshop was designed by the Madrileño duo, I had to visit. Appearing deceptively larger than it is thanks to a cleverly mirrored wall and ceiling, the narrow interior was inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’s The Library of Babel. Zigzagging handmade bookshelves (most painted yellow) in recycled wood house works of fiction and nonfiction grouped according to atypical themes, like “enchantment for the disenchanted”. The quirky interiors are made more intimate by cosy reading alcoves – and a strict no-phones policy. libreria.io 

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